


wading through the fire and smoke (like sunlight through the haze)

by AlexiaBlackbriar13



Series: lexi's quarantine and chill fics [4]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Cuddling & Snuggling, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, Kidnapping, Naked Cuddling, Quarantine and Chill Fic Drive (Arrow TV 2012), References to BDSM, Season/Series 02, Set within Season 2, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:07:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23672053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexiaBlackbriar13/pseuds/AlexiaBlackbriar13
Summary: Oliver and Felicity are publicly out as a soulmate couple. When she’s kidnapped for ransom, the Arrow saves her and is seen comforting her and heard calling her pet names.Instead of thinking Oliver is the Arrow, the police and media outlets begin to think Felicity Smoak has two separate soulmates: Oliver Queen... and the Arrow.Cue the entire world thinking Oliver, Felicity, and the Arrow are a soulmate throuple.
Relationships: Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak
Series: lexi's quarantine and chill fics [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1672939
Comments: 40
Kudos: 323
Collections: Quarantine and Chill Fic Drive 2020





	wading through the fire and smoke (like sunlight through the haze)

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [let our hearts and souls align](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17141735) by [AlexiaBlackbriar13](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexiaBlackbriar13/pseuds/AlexiaBlackbriar13). 



> for the Q and C fic drive: soulmate prompt and kidnapping prompt
> 
> hope you are all staying home and staying safe xx also hope you enjoy this fic! it was so fun to write
> 
> this is technically a sequel to my fic **[let our hearts and souls align](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17141735)** but you DO NOT NEED TO READ that fic to understand this one

Felicity is, in all honestly, sick and tired of getting kidnapped. She’s been tied to a chair in a damp, dark warehouse down by the docks, it’s night now and she’s freezing cold because she’s only wearing a work dress, her coat having been stripped off her. This time, she’s been kidnapped by five basic street thugs; they carjacked her on the way to work, directly outside QC. She was planning on getting to the office early so she could start on the paperwork, leaving Oliver at home so he could sleep off his extremely late night spent out patrolling the streets. She should have just waited for him and Dig to take her in. Now, she’s being held her for ransom. 

Why? Because her soulmate is Oliver Queen and the two of them are publicly out as a soulmate couple, and these idiots think that he’ll pay a ten million dollar ransom for her in the next twelve hours. The Queens don’t have that sort of money available to them at the drop of a hat, as most of their fortune is currently invested.

Oliver also refuses to negotiate with terrorists and as the Arrow, is going to come and rescue her any second now - and probably beat the shit out of her kidnappers. She knows that because her soulmark, an arrow with the infinity symbol in the shaft, on her right shoulder blade is stinging. So all Felicity is doing is waiting, bored out of her mind and starving since she hasn’t eaten since dinner yesterday.

“You are really not gonna like it when my soulmate gets here.” The muttered comment slips out before she can stop herself from making it, her brain-to-mouth filter failing to kick in, most likely because she’s a little faint from hunger and dehydration.

Her kidnappers do not react well to hearing that. Felicity gets a Glock pointed at her face. All she does is raise an eyebrow; they can’t kill or hurt her otherwise they risk losing their ransom. She knows they can’t harm her at all. Plus, two of the men seem uncomfortable with the idea of roughing up a woman. She rolls her eyes at the thought; her kidnappers are trying to be _gentlemen_.

“Your weak-ass billionaire playboy of a soulmate ain’t gonna do _shit_ to save you, blondie, except pay your fucking ransom,” the man holding the gun on her spits. He’s the leader, she has to guess, because all the others lower their gazes and shift nervously on their feet.

Felicity can’t help but smile. It’s more a smirk because _she knows something they don’t_. Her soulmate is not just a ‘weak-ass billionaire playboy’. He’s the bow-wielding vigilante who strikes fear into the hearts of any criminal within Starling City’s limits. Sensing that her soulmate is near, she peers up and spots a lithe, sweeping silhouette darting across the structural beams. “I’m not talking about Oliver Queen.”

The fight barely lasts five minutes. Oliver leaps down and tears through the kidnappers like an avenging angel, dark green leather aiding him in using the shadows to his advantage. Once all the five men are unconscious, some of them sporting broken arms and legs, he uses a net arrow to trap them. Finally, the archer hurries over to Felicity. He keeps his hood and mask firmly in place, but his worried, stricken expression is clear to see.

“Hey, honey,” he says weakly, his voice a deep rumble of concern. He caresses her cheek with his gloved fingertips, checking her face over for injuries, and then tucks a loose lock of her hair tenderly behind her ear. “Sorry I’m late.”

“What sort of time do you call this?” she teases, breathless and exhausted.

Oliver uses a flechette to cut her zip ties, and then supports her forearms as Felicity attempts to stand. Almost immediately, a wave of dizziness crashes over her and her knees give out. She crumbles to the ground with a pained whimper; fortunately, Oliver is directly in front of her and able to catch her as she falls. Her soulmate quickly stores his semi-collapsible bow in his quiver so he can hunch down and scoop her up into his arms bridal style.

“I’ve got you, Felicity, I’ve got you,” he murmurs softly, beginning to stalk towards the exit. “You’re safe now. The police are on their way, Lance is leading the charge, and I’ll stay with you until they get here. They can’t see me with you. They’ll take you to the hospital to get checked over, but I promise I’ll join you as soon as I possibly can, okay? Lance will make sure you’re looked after until then.”

Clenching her eyes closed against her headache, Felicity sighs in relief and snuggles into Oliver’s chest. She tucks her head against his shoulder, curling her fingers into the collar of his Arrow jacket. She’s with Oliver now, meaning that she truly is safe. Her soulmate’s heartbeat is steady and incredibly relaxing to listen to, and is a reassurance to her that she’s been rescued and this isn’t a hallucination or dream.

The cold night breeze makes Felicity shiver in Oliver’s arms as they emerge from the warehouse. Sirens wailing in the distance, growing louder as the police draw closer, are like jackhammers inside Felicity’s skull. She groans into her soulmate’s collarbone, hoping that by resting her forehead on him, the pressure might relieve the pain. It doesn’t. Instead, it makes it even worse, to the point where Felicity’s stomach is twisting and she feels like she’s going to throw up.

Oliver must be able to sense her rising agitation through their soulmate bond, because he shushes her gently and guides her into sitting on some maintenance stairs. He urges her to drop her head between her knees to combat her dizziness and rubs her back soothingly, pulling her hair into a ponytail and using a hairband he’s apparently been keeping around his wrist to tie it back. The emotion sensing is something new they’ve been experimenting with; soulmates are meant to be able to get hints of each other’s feeling and thoughts, but the two of them need to practice more to refine it. Over the last few weeks, they’ve been trying to figure out a code so that they can send bursts of emotions to each other and communicate. Today, Felicity has been sending Oliver fear, tiredness and desperation in frequent twinges. Now, she must be subconsciously pushing her nausea at him.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart, I wish I could make you feel better,” he says, voice tinged with sorrow. “The hospital will be able to do more than Dig and I could in the Foundry. Is there anything I can do for now?”

“Hold me,” she rasps, looking up at him pleadingly. “Please?”

Without hesitation, Oliver steps between her tights and gathers her body close to him, wrapping her up in his arms and crushing her to his chest. It’s a very tight, secure embrace but it’s precisely what Felicity needs right now - hard pressure on every other point on her body so that her headache fades into the background, and all she can focus on is Oliver being her physical anchor. Sometimes she wonders how she ever survived living without her soulmate by her side, supporting her like this. Of course, Oliver was _there_ , meaning he was present, but the two of them were always dancing around each other; now they’re together, emboldened by the knowledge that their fates are entwined, Felicity doesn’t think she would ever be able to cope if she lost him.

Oliver strokes his hand over her hair, and cups the back of her head. “The police are here,” he whispers, somewhat apologetically. “They’re approaching us now. They have their guns pointed at us but Lance is ordering them not to shoot because they can see you’re with me. I have to go, baby.” 

She tenses. Her face is buried in her soulmate’s shoulder, so she can’t see the officers. “Wait, they’re looking at us?”

“Staring,” he huffs.

“This will not end well,” Felicity mumbles. “Being seen hugging the fearsome Starling vigilante is not going to look good for my image.”

“It won’t look good for _them_ if they immediately start interrogating you about me after you were just kidnapped for ransom,” Oliver growls, ducking his head down to kiss her forehead. “If I want to comfort my soulmate after a traumatic experience, then I will, Felicity.” He tilts her chin up so their eyes meet. “I really need to go, but I _promise_ I will meet you later, sweetheart.”

With that, Oliver gives her one last squeeze of a hug and then vanishes, disappearing into the night like a phantom. Felicity flinches in fright and covers her head protectively when she hears a couple of shots being fired off, the police officers aiming for her soulmate, but undoubtedly missing. When she opens her eyes, Lance is standing in front of her, frantically asking if she’s okay. Felicity nods, despite her heart having sunken in her chest the moment Oliver left.

With Lance guarding and fast-tracking her to the hospital, the captain on-site and no other detective gets the chance to interrogate her about her apparent closeness to the Arrow. She can tell by their snide glances and suspicious glares that they think that she knows his identity and can expose him, but Lance doesn’t even ask those sorts of questions when he’s taking her statement from her. All five of the men who kidnapped her are in custody which means this is a basic open and shut case.

The Queen family doctor checks her over once they get to the hospital so she doesn’t have to wait for medical attention, and while they put Felicity on an IV for fluids and energy bars to eat to get her blood glucose levels back up, they determine that she’s fine to go home and rest. Lance sits by her side during the examination, glancing at the door every minute or so as if he’s expecting somebody to burst through it. Felicity knows that he’s waiting for Oliver to run in, panicked and worried to death. To be honest, she’s waiting for him too. There has to be a realistic delay between her rescue, arrival at the hospital and Oliver turning up, though, as he only would have been called when the police turned up to see her safe and sound. He’s pushing it though, and tired as Felicity is, all she wants to do is curl up in her soulmate’s arms and sleep for ten years.

Oliver finally stumbles into the room around fifteen minutes after Felicity got to the hospital, panting and sweating heavily. His clothes, jeans, and a simple shirt and Henley, are ruffled and look like they’ve been thrown on half-hazardly. It’s obvious that he flat out sprinted up the stairs instead of taking the elevator. “I’m here,” he breathes, flitting over to where Felicity is sitting cross-legged on the bed. Grasping her hands, he once again looks her over frantically, as if there’s a possibility she might have been injured in the last half an hour since he saw her. “I’m here, honey, I’m here. Are you okay? Please tell me you’re okay.”

“I’m fine,” she manages a smile. “Dr Lamb said I’m just exhausted and dehydrated.”

She peers over his shoulder to see that, to her surprise, Moira is directly outside the door, in deep discussion with the doctor. So the reason Oliver took so long is because he must have had to pick up his mom and bring her here. It makes sense that Moira is, though, because while Oliver is her emergency contact, she can imagine the hospital would have called the Queen mansion’s home landline as well, which would have been picked up by Oliver’s mother. Diggle is also visible; he probably insisted on coming when Oliver dropped back to the Foundry to change into civilian clothes.

“I am never letting you out of my sight again,” Oliver says fiercely, pulling her onto his lap so he can hug her. It’s possessive behavior but Felicity can’t say she minds it after everything that’s happened today.

“Might be a good idea to get her a bodyguard,” Lance comments, standing and stretching.

“I have one,” Felicity replies. She thanks him with a smile and a shake of his hand. She would hug the detective but Oliver is refusing to let go of her.

The detective shakes his head. “Can’t always be relying on our mutual friend to get you out of trouble, Miss Smoak.” He very pointedly does not look over at her soulmate. “Hope you feel better. I’ll call if we need any more info. Look after her, Queen.”

“Always,” Oliver replies seriously.

On the way home to the Queen mansion, where Felicity now lives because Moira had ‘security concerns’, Oliver, Diggle and his mother fuss over her. The archer insists on carrying her inside and Felicity agrees only because Moira threatens to get out an old wheelchair, claiming that she needs to rest and the stairs ‘might be too much for her’. Thea is waiting for them with tears brimming in her eyes and she sobs out how relieved she is to see her safe. Recognizing how overwhelmed Felicity is getting with this amount of smothering attention, Oliver tells his family that she needs peace and quiet, and a good night’s sleep to recover. Diggle has to leave, so he promises them to come by and drop off Big Belly Burger for her tomorrow, giving her an awkward one-armed hug. Felicity wraps her arms around Oliver’s neck as he cradles her gently, slowly walking up to his bedroom.

“I could have lost you today,” he mutters, placing her down on the toilet.

“You saved me,” she whispers.

“But you shouldn’t have been put in that position in the first place,” Oliver growls. Felicity lowers her gaze and hunches her shoulders. It was her carelessness that resulted in her being kidnapped, not his. Oliver’s expression instantly softens when he sees her remorse. “Hey. I’m sorry. Things like this happen to you far too often, and it just unnerves me. I love you so much, I’m terrified of you getting hurt. Those men, they took you just because you’re my soulmate and they thought that by threatening you, they could get something out of you. My loving you puts you in danger.”

Felicity’s grip on his hand tightens. “Oliver, if you’re thinking of breaking up with me -” she starts, voice hoarse.

“No,” he interrupts. “No, never, Felicity, _never_. We just… we need to be more cautious in the future, okay? I think we should look into getting you a bodyguard. In fact, I think we’re going to have to anyway, because my mom is insisting on it. For now, I would like Dig to protect you. Is that alright? If it’s not, we can work out something else. I want you to be comfortable. This is your decision ultimately.”

Thinking on it for a second, she nods. “That would be okay.” She wrinkles her nose. “Can we shower now? I smell damp because of that warehouse.”

Oliver’s hands are delicate and cherishing as he helps her out of her clothes, and when he grasps her waist to lift her into the shower along with him, Felicity is content to stand in silence and enjoy the rough callouses on Oliver’s fingertips caressing the length of her sides. His reverent touches send tingles of heat through her body that drive away the last remaining traces of cold.

He lingers over her right shoulder blade, rubbing his thumb lightly over her soulmark. It matches the tattoo he has on the back of his neck; Oliver’s real soulmark on his lower back was destroyed when he was severely burned. Felicity’s soulmark is slightly irritated and raised because of how they were signaling each other through their emotional bond earlier. As a mark of their connection, it responds in kind to any tension that arises in the link between them, and their bond has been overexerted today due to their attempts at communication. It’s also an erogenous zone, and Oliver’s fingers dancing over it trigger Felicity to shudder and tip her forehead against his pectoral with a tremulous exhalation.

Oliver washes her hair and body without a care that the two of them are naked in here together and that he’s getting aroused too, focused entirely on helping her get clean so she’s comfortable in bed. They always sleep naked together and therefore don’t bother getting dressed after drying off, although Felicity does gratefully accept a blanket to stay warm while her soulmate brushes, blow dries and then braids her hair. This is something the two of them adore - taking care of one another. After a rough night on the streets, Oliver will relax and allow Felicity to tend to his wounds and comfort him, chasing away the nightmares plaguing him. Felicity rarely has days that are as bad as Oliver’s, but when her head and heart are aching, her soulmate always knows how to help her feel sheltered and loved. 

The moment Felicity falls onto the sheets next to him, something breaks inside of her. She cries quietly into Oliver’s shoulder, finally allowing all the anxiety and stress that’s been building inside her since the carjacking - but she’s been vehemently squashing down - to bubble out of her. Oliver lies on his back with Felicity on top of him and his arms caging her to his torso, grounding her. One of his hands settles in the small of her back, drawing out infinity symbols on her spine. It’s immensely soothing. He whispers reassurances into her hair, dotting tender kisses over her face and cheeks, until her fatigue overtakes her and Felicity is lured into the darkness by sleep.

The next morning, Felicity is awoken by a light fluttering in her abdomen and the sensation of soft lips being pressed in a line from her clavicle to her belly. Opening her eyes, she groggily blinks up at Oliver, who is hovering on all fours above her and is lavishing kisses on her bare skin, appearing to take great joy in causing her to blush. When he releases that she’s awake, he pillows his head on her stomach, his lips twitching into a fond smile. There are mirth and mischief twinkling in his blue eyes.

“Good morning,” he says calmly.

“Good morning. What are you doing? Or what _were_ you doing?

“Testing to see how long it takes for my soulmate to wake up if I kiss her from her head to her toes,” Oliver replies, the picture of innocence as he grins at her. “I managed to get down to about…” He rubs his thumb just below her belly button. “Here. Next time I’m going to challenge myself to get lower.”

“And when do you win the challenge?” Felicity smirks, running her fingers through his hair.

Oliver wiggles his eyebrows. “When I end up between your thighs.” He bends his neck to nip teasingly at her hips.

Felicity shoves him off her with a laugh, vaulting out of bed to go and brush her teeth and get dressed. “We have work today, Oliver, and we’re already late.”

Rolling over so he can look over at her (and it doesn’t escape Felicity’s notice that the archer glances up and down her naked body appreciatively) Oliver adjusts the sheets so they cover up to his waist and shakes his head. “I called us in sick. Isabel’s assistant was sympathetic and re-arranged all our appointments to next week. Apparently what happened ended up on the news, so you’ve got the next two days off to recover and I’m working from home so I can take care of you.”

She pauses, finishing brushing her hair and typing it up into a ponytail. “So we don’t have to go into QC today?”

“Nope. That’s the only thing kidnappings are good for - getting you time off work scot-free.”

“Excellent.” Felicity stalks back towards the bed and whips the sheet covering Oliver off him, crawling until she’s straddling him. Her soulmate is very interested, and she can feel the evidence of that resting against her stomach. “Then let’s thoroughly enjoy the morning.”

They _thoroughly enjoy_ the morning until Felicity is desperate for coffee and food and they determine they need to head down to the kitchen to caffeinate and feed themselves. After dragging on sweatpants and casual t-shirts - Felicity steals one of Oliver’s Henleys because the Queen mansion can be freezing at times, since the old house is so large - they traipse downstairs together hand in hand.

Moira and Thea are in the kitchen, chatting quietly at the table as they pick at some toast that looks almost burnt and tea. The two women have been waiting for Oliver to arrive, it seems, as Raisa has the week off and neither of them can cook particularly well. They eye the couple as if they know exactly how they’ve been spending their morning. Her cheeks colored from embarrassment, Felicity slides into a seat next to Thea, murmuring a good morning while they watch Oliver get to work, rummaging through the fridge and preparing a french press.

“Coffee for my love.” Oliver pushes the cup full of pure black, sweetened coffee in front of Felicity. She kisses the palm of his hand in thanks before beginning to guzzle the sweet but still bitter liquid like it’s her lifeblood. Already, even though she’s just a couple gulps in, she can feel the fuzziness in her head clearing. “And how about pancakes with fresh fruit for all my girls?”

“Thank you, Oliver,” Moira says. She’s reading a newspaper. And being careful to keep it angled away from Oliver and Felicity. Huh. Weird, Felicity thinks. Maybe her kidnapping is the front-page headline and Moira is just worried that it will trigger her anxiety if she sees it. “I trust you are feeling well-rested after last night, Felicity? I hope my son looked after you as a courteous soulmate should.”

“He did, thank you, Moira,” Felicity smiles at her. “You raised a gentleman.”

Oliver cooking is a bit of a spectacle as he likes to show off his knife skills while chopping up strawberries, watermelon, oranges, and kiwis, twirling the blade between his fingers, so the three women observe him in comfortable, companionable silence. Felicity catches both Thea and Moira sneaking her calculating looks, which is a little odd, but she reckons they’re just concerned for her well-being after her ordeal yesterday, so doesn’t think much more of it.

“So what are the threesomes like?” Thea suddenly asks, peering between Oliver and Felicity with narrowed eyes.

Felicity chokes on her coffee. Oliver’s knife slips from his hand and lands with the blade tip lodged in the wooden floor. Moira huffs in disdain, muttering about ruining the cherry wood planks.

“I’m sorry, _what?_ ” Felicity asks in disbelief.

“You know,” Thea raises an eyebrow. “You, Ollie… the Arrow… it’s gotta be interesting having sex with a guy wearing head-to-toe leather, a hood, and a mask. Or does he take that stuff off and you do it in complete darkness? Wait, do you know his real identity? You’d both be protected by spousal privilege, I presume, if you were asked by the police or courts to reveal him.”

Oliver stares at her. The bemusement on his face would be comical, if Felicity didn’t feel equally bewildered by what Thea just said. “Please explain everything you just said.”

His sister rolls her eyes, gets her cell phone out and flicks to something on the screen before leaning across the breakfast table to pass it to him. Felicity snatches it out of Thea’s hand before Oliver can grab it, her heart clenching in dread.

_SOULMATE SUPER THROUPLE - OLICITY AND THE ARROW?_

_Oliver Queen, billionaire, rescued castaway and CEO of Queen Consolidated, and Felicity Smoak, MIT graduate and praised executive assistant, shocked the world by revealing their relationship at the 2013 Kord Industries Soulmate Couples Christmas Gala. Now, it appears there is even more heat to be added to their romance - in the form of a THIRD soulmate._

_Who is this third soulmate, you ask? According to sources within SCPD and reporters at the scene of Felicity Smoak’s rescue last night, after she was kidnapped for ransom, Smoak and Queen’s tertiary member of their relationship is none other than Starling City’s resident vigilante, THE ARROW._

_It was our city’s badass archer in tight green leather who saved Smoak from her abductors during the late hours of last night. Those at the scene claim that when they arrived, they spotted the two in an INTIMATE EMBRACE [Pictured below] and using enhanced listening equipment, they captured audio of the Arrow calling Smoak both ‘his soulmate’ and ‘sweetheart’! [Audio mp4 link]_

_Given that Queen has been exonerated of being the vigilante numerous times, but is still associated with the Arrow, and now with Smoak’s apparent connection to the archer as well, it’s clear to us all - The Arrow, whoever he is underneath that hood, has both Smoak and Queen has his soulmates, and the three of them are in a romantic relationship. It is unlikely that Smoak or Queen will be approached by SCPD or charged with being accessories to the Arrow as they will be covered by soulmate spousal privileges, meaning they do not have to testify to the vigilante’s identity._

_Read more BELOW for theories as to when and how this trio met, discovered their soulmate status and tied the knot!_

The blurry image of Felicity and Oliver, wearing the Arrow suit, is damning. The audio clip, which is quiet but still coherent, is even worse. Astonished and horrified, Felicity puts her head in her hands, not quite believing that this was happening to them. The entirety of Starling City, when seeing and hearing that evidence, didn’t assume that Oliver is the Arrow. Instead, they think that she and Oliver are in a relationship with the Arrow, and they think that they’re all soulmates.

They are _screwed_.

Oliver snags the cell phone and wiggles it out of her grasp so he can read as well. Within seconds, his expression is torn between being thunderous and mortified. He keeps his eyes lowered as he shoves the device back towards Thea across the table, looking as if he would rather be anywhere else but this room right now. Felicity understands that because she feels the same way. Face flushed, Oliver turns away and starts back on making the pancake batter and chopping up a bar of chocolate, his shoulders tensed.

Moira takes a long, loud slurping sip of her tea. It breaks the somewhat awkward silence but makes it even more awkward. “So,” she starts delicately. “Is this a ‘he dates you and her separately’ sort of situation, Oliver, or are you all dating each other?”

Concentrating on wielding his knife in such a way that his shaking hands don’t get sliced, he replies distractedly, “Uh, the latter.”

Thea looks pleased. “Finally coming out as bi!” Felicity has known Oliver is bi since forever so it’s a little startling to learn that he hasn’t told anybody in his family. “I was wondering if you were ever going to exit that closet.”

“I knew it,” Moira says with a shrug, swirling her tea in her cup. “Ever since he and Tommy came home drunk that night in 2005 and were too busy kissing to make it up the stairs -”

“Mom!” Oliver interrupts, his ears flaming red and expression scandalized. Felicity wishes she could admit that she’s shocked, but she isn’t, because Tommy and Oliver hooking up while they were in college? Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.

“You didn’t have pants on,” Moira remembers. “Tommy lost his underwear on the porch.”

The archer bangs his head against the wall. “STOP, please.”

“Are you embarrassed?” Thea asks snarkily. She turns to Felicity, pointing at her. “Are _you?_ ”

“Yes, frankly,” Felicity splutters. She stands to seize Moira’s newspaper. A humiliated groan escapes her throat when she reads the top headline: _QUEEN, SMOAK, ARROW - THE SOULMATE TRIO TAKING SOCIETY BY STORM_. “Oh god, _WHY!?_ ”

“I’m glad,” Thea sniffs. “I had to wake up this morning to fourteen messages from friends and various media outlets asking me to ask you what the Arrow’s dick and abs are like, if I could hook them up with you, whether you’re open to more than just threesomes and who the top is. I’m traumatized. You deserve to feel terrible.”

“I think I’m going to be sick,” Felicity says, dazed. And she’s not kidding, she really does feel rather nauseous now.

“Who _does_ top?” Thea crosses her arms.

Oliver opens his mouth to respond.

“I know it’s not you, Ollie,” Thea dismisses him. Felicity thinks that Oliver might be dying inside a little right now. “Hey, Felicity, you said you’re feeling sick. You’re not pregnant too, are you? I suppose if you were, you wouldn’t be able to get a paternity test done, if you wanted to know who the father was. It would reveal the Arrow’s identity.”

Oliver throws his spatula down. Glaring at his sister, he helps Felicity, who thinks she might be on the verge of a panic attack, up from her chair to begin guiding her out of the kitchen. “Right, the batter is made and the fruit is prepared, you two can make your own pancakes. Felicity and I need to go and talk.”

“They’re probably going to call the Arrow,” Thea whispers out of the edge of her mouth to Moira, who agrees with a solemn nod. “Tell him their cover is blown.”

“Actually, Thea, we are going to call our family lawyers and work out how to fix this disaster, before SCPD turn up here to arrest us,” Oliver responds stiffly.

“Jean Loring is already on her way.” Moira shoots them a bored look. “I called her earlier on your behalf. She’s meeting you here at 11am. But she already told me that you don’t need to worry about getting arrested; it’s against the United Nation’s Soulmate Convention of 1982. They can’t force you to give up the Arrow’s name, the most they can do is ask you to offer it willingly, which we all know the two of you won’t. Legally they can’t ask you to prove your soulmate status either and I think they know that requesting the Arrow to show your matching soulmark isn’t going to end well.”

Thea gasps. “ _That’s_ why it’s an arrow!” she shouts, as if this is all a giant, mind-blowing realization. Felicity hides her face in Oliver’s shoulder with a whimper. This is degrading, having everybody discuss their relationship.

“I wouldn’t concern yourself with QC, either,” Moira adds. “Stock took an 11 point increase this morning. I think some businessmen were worried that if they pulled out, the Arrow would pay them a visit.” 

That does not help Felicity feel any better. Shooting his mother and sister one last glower, Oliver places his hand on the small of her back and gently leads her out of the kitchen and into the living room area. He settles on the couch cushions next to her and for a good couple of minutes, the two of them gaze off into space, trying to wrap their heads around what’s happened, seemingly overnight. It’s baffling and overwhelming and the worst part of it? Is that they can’t even DENY it. They can’t come out and say the Arrow isn’t their soulmate, because if they do, then the next logical explanation for what the police and reporters heard and saw last night is that _Oliver_ is her soulmate _and_ the Arrow, which will result in him being arrested and tried for a bucket load of crimes. Which is not an option here.

“I guess we’re going to have to come up with a story,” she says tightly.

“This is insane,” Oliver jumps up to pace frustratedly across the room. “Just - insane!”

“Hey, it’s better than the _alternative_ , which is them working out that you’re the Arrow.” She rubs her sore eyes with her knuckles. “Plus, soulmate polyamory is rare but it does exist, because there have been accounts of soulmates having three or even four mark matches before. We’ll be seen as progressive.”

“And targets, for all of the Arrow’s enemies!”

Felicity frowns. “I actually think this will have the opposite effect,” she admits. “Most of the criminals in the city are scared shitless of the Arrow. As weird as it is, being known as his soulmates - your soulmates, we have to stop talking in the third person, but I suppose now we really have to, to keep this story going - what I’m trying to say is, this might actually offer us protection.”

Oliver stares at her. “This whole situation is ridiculous.” He collapses back onto the couch. “Okay. Let’s stick with the story we told Mom and Thea about the night we learned we were soulmates, when the Count attacked you at QC and the Arrow saved you. We can say that the Arrow came to us a few days later, after rescuing you, and revealed that he had the same soulmark as us. The two of us started dating in secret and the Arrow was dating us too.”

“That makes sense,” Felicity sighs. “Can we _please_ just say that we want to keep the more personal details to ourselves? I don’t want to have to answer any questions about what the Arrow is like in bed.”

“Neither do I,” Oliver huffs. “I can’t exactly give myself a performance review.”

Felicity nudges him with her elbow. “10/10, if you were wondering.”

“Thank you, honey, but honestly not the center of our concerns right now.”

They sort out the rest of their story over the next twenty minutes, before Jean Loring, the Queen family’s lawyer, arrives. Jean is a bit flustered talking to them and glances over her shoulder every so often, as if she’s expecting the Arrow to swoop down and join the conversation, which obviously isn’t going to happen since the Arrow himself is sitting in front of her in civilian clothes, sporting a stoic expression. She doesn’t seem to suspect Oliver at all of being the vigilante. Jean walks them through their rights as soulmates and how they should be addressing the police and the media, and insists on aiding them in writing a statement to release in the evening. Felicity utterly despises it, because it basically states that the three of them - Oliver, Felicity, and the Arrow - are soulmates in a steady relationship and would like to keep it as private as possible for the Arrow’s sake, to protect his identity and his other loved ones.

“I would recommend that your partner be here the next time we have a legal discussion,” Jean informs them, on her way out the door, once they’ve discussed everything for over an hour and she has the statement ready to be posted. “Will he, er, be okay with attending a face-to-face meeting?”

The Arrow does do face-to-face meetings, but usually, he’s putting _arrows_ in those people’s faces, so Felicity reckons the answer is no. But instead of saying that, she answers hesitantly, “It… might be better if we remain the only people he communicates with on a legal front right now. We wouldn’t want you to accidentally incriminate yourself by association with him. Oliver and I are protected by soulmate laws, you are not.”

“Ah, you’re right,” Jean nods.

Jean’s car is vanishing behind the driveway’s hedges as she leaves the property when another car appears, slowing down so she can pass them. Felicity instantly recognizes the black sedan as an unmarked police car. She turns her face into Oliver’s shoulder with a groan, because of course the police have got to turn up now and interrogate them about the Arrow. In an effort to comfort her, Oliver strokes his hand up and down her spine and brushes a kiss across her forehead.

The two of them wait on the porch as Detective Lance and Captain Pike step out of their vehicle, Lance looking like today is the best day of his life and Pike looking like he’s just swallowed the sourest lemon known to mankind. Oliver invites them inside awkwardly and Felicity follows behind them feeling like her head is full of cotton and her lungs are about to burst out of her chest because of her agitation.

“Is he, er, is he here?” is the first question Pike asks.

Oliver shoots him a flat look. “Is the Arrow here, in broad daylight, at my house, which we knew would be visited by the police today.”

Pike rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. “Stupid question, wasn’t it?”

“I have one.” Felicity raises her hand. “I swear the police aren’t allowed to be sources for the media when it comes to gossip and conspiracy theories?”

“They aren’t, and the officers who provided that information to Channel 52, CNN and Fox have been reprimanded and suspected,” Lance assures her. His eyes dart between Oliver and Felicity as an amused smirk works its way onto his face. “That was Jean Loring we passed on our way up the drive, wasn’t it? I presume you two called her to find out your rights. So I presume you know now exactly what we can and can’t ask you, and what you’re legally allowed to say.”

“Had to be prepared, Detective,” Oliver snipes back, annoyed at Lance’s chipper attitude. Felicity has to agree that it’s irritating; Lance seems to be way too gleeful at what’s happening to then. She’s always suspected the detective knows Oliver is the Arrow, and this is a partial confirmation to her, because Lance would only find all this _that_ entertaining if he knew. Oliver motions for them both to sit down. “So what would you like to ask us?”

Pike avoids making eye contact with them both. His voice is strained as he says, “Would either of you like to supply the SCPD with any information about the Arrow which you might have obtained from your - er - romantic exploits?”

“No,” Oliver deadpans.

“That’s a no from me too, Captain. Sorry,” Felicity winces.

Pike looks disappointed, but not surprised. “So you’re not willing to give us any intel about his operation?”

Lance is trembling from holding back his laughter. Oh, he is very much enjoying this. Almost too much. She’ll definitely be hacking his work computer later to make the desktop screen photo a blobfish and change his email alerts to fox sex screams. “C’mon, Pike, do you think they're gonna talk shop while they're tumbling in the sheets? Seems like a bit of a turn-off, to me. Unless, you know... they're into that sort of thing, on top of the leather, hood, and mask.” He turns and raises his eyebrows pointedly at Oliver.

Oliver’s left hand twitches within her grasp. Felicity can tell through their bond that his indignation has grown to the point where he’s imagining sinking an arrow into the detective’s knee. She also thinks that he could be considering drowning himself in the bathroom sink because of how humiliating this is. She glances over at Lance with exasperation, silently asking him to back off his teasing, trying to convey how tired they both are. It works. The detective looks suitably chastised.

“Did the men who kidnapped Felicity yesterday have anything useful to say?” Oliver asks, changing the topic. “Did they confess?”

“They confessed,” Pike confirms. “Thankfully, that means that this doesn’t even need to go to court. They, also, um -” He grimaces. “They might have given more fodder to the Arrow soulmate thing… one of the men said that Miss Smoak said that they wouldn’t like it when her soulmate got there and that she wasn’t talking about Queen… and then the Arrow turned up.”

Oliver closes his eyes for a fleeting second and when he turns to her, it’s with a hopelessly affectionate look. Felicity is pretty certain her cheeks are crimson with how they feel like they’re burning. “I was dehydrated and hungry and woozy. I wasn’t thinking straight at the time.”

“But you were absolutely sure that the Arrow was going to rescue you?” Pike questions.

“Well yeah, of course.” She shrugs. “That’s how we met and found out we were soulmates, after all.”

Lance’s brow furrows. “The Count. The Arrow killed him. For you.”

“Three arrows, if I remember correctly.” Pike scribbles this down on a little pad he fishes out of his pocket. When he glances up at Felicity again, he notes seriously, “He must really love you.”

Felicity’s mouth dries. She swallows, her throat stinging. Oliver tightens his grip on her hand and agrees, “Yes, he does.”

The two policemen leave, Lance throwing back a smirk at the pair and tossing a comment over his shoulder to give the Arrow their regards. Felicity is very tempted to give him the middle finger but can’t in the end, because Oliver crushes her to his chest in a secure embrace while glaring at the detective. Once the car has disappeared, the archer refuses to let Felicity go and lifts her, his hands on her hips, so she’s clinging like a spider-monkey to his front, arms circling his neck and legs wrapped around his waist. He only needs one broad hand to support her back since her weight is barely anything for him, and he carries her effortlessly back inside.

Dropping her down on the couch, Oliver kisses her bruisingly and whispers, “I don’t know if I can cope with the idea of sharing you with the Arrow.”

Felicity giggles. “You _are_ the Arrow, baby,” she murmurs quietly, in case anybody is listening in.

“I know, but nobody else knows that,” he scowls, landing on the cushions with a thump beside her. “Also - why does everybody assume _I’m_ the bottom!? I read the articles! They’re all saying that the Arrow’s the top!”

“You’re a switch, so technically, they’re right,” she replies in amusement.

Oliver grumbles into her neck as she straddles him to massage his skull soothingly. “Do I give off submissive vibes? I know the Arrow gives off dominant ones but - Oliver?” he complains. “ _ME?_ Do I really come across as submissive?”

“Yes!” they hear Thea exclaim from the hallway.

“STOP EAVESDROPPING!” Oliver shouts.

“Then stop talking so loudly!” Thea yells back.

“Please stop shouting in the house, children,” Moira says in a raised voice. She steps into the living room, barely reacting to seeing Felicity sitting on her son’s lap. She’s caught them in much more compromising positions before, after all. Pouring herself a glass of premium whiskey from the cabinet - she doesn’t seem to care that it’s still the morning - she offers them both their own glasses, which they decline. Felicity will pop open a bottle of red wine later with lunch. “How did your meeting with Jean go? Did I hear you talking to Captain Pike a few minutes ago?”

“Meeting with Jean went well, we’re releasing a statement tonight at 5pm,” Oliver reports. “And yes, Captain Pike and Detective Lance came, but it was a waste of time for them.”

Moira nods, as if she expected that. “Can I see your soulmark, Felicity?” she asks, out of the blue.

Startled and a little confused by her request, Felicity nods and taps Oliver’s arm in encouragement. He reaches over to push her t-shirt down off her right shoulder, exposing her soulmark to his mother’s gaze. Moira examines it carefully. Felicity jumps when she feels the woman’s cool fingers trace the arrow from tip to fletching, following the loops of the infinity symbol in the shaft. Felicity angles her head so she can peer up at her.

“Yes, it makes sense it’s an arrow,” Moira mutters under her breath. “And it makes sense that you share it. Even when you were born, the fates knew what the two of you were destined for.”

“Don’t you mean three of us?” Oliver says.

His mother’s expression is inscrutable. “No, I mean the two of you.”

She departs, leaving both Oliver and Felicity shaken. Her tone was so decisive - _knowing_. Does she know that Oliver is the Arrow? Does she know that Felicity works with him? They don’t get time to ponder on it, because Diggle appears in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest. Felicity shrinks beneath his disbelieving and irked glower.

“You two have a lot of explaining to do,” he says.

“You saw the news then?” Felicity winces.

“I did,” Diggle rolls his eyes. “ _And_ I just had to fight my way through the crowd of reporters gathered outside the gates.”

Oliver jolts to the alert. Felicity slides off his lap. “What?”

“Yeah, they think the Arrow is holed up here with you. They’re not wrong.”

“They’re not right, either,” Oliver replies. “The suit, bow and quiver are in the Foundry, which means that’s where the Arrow is.”

Diggle shakes his head, obviously very tired with dealing with all of this. Felicity feels the same way, and it’s only noon. “I brought lunch.” He raises a large paper Big Belly Burger bag. “Let’s eat while we figure out how security is going to work for you now you’ve been ‘outed as the Arrow’s soulmates’.” His sarcastic finger quotes make Felicity snort.

Lunch ends up being a relaxed affair, just three friends having a picnic on some blankets on the floor. Diggle agrees to switch to being Felicity’s bodyguard until they have the chance to interview some possible candidates, as they establish that Oliver doesn’t really need personal protection and as he and Felicity often travel together anyway, it won’t make much difference. Of course, Diggle doesn’t pass up the opportunity to tease the fuck out of them for this situation they’ve got themselves into. Leaning over, Oliver’s lips brush Felicity’s ear as he whispers that he’ll make Dig pay for his relentless teasing in their next training session, which makes her giggle.

It’s after Diggle has gone home for the day and they’re clearing up their mess, putting empty cardboard packets in the recycling, that Oliver gets a phone call from an unknown number. He hesitates to answer it, and after he and Felicity exchange wary looks, he presses the green button and switches it onto speaker. His thumb hovers over the red button so he can immediately end the call if he needs to.

“Oliver Queen speaking,” he says cautiously.

“ _Hi, Mr Queen, we’re glad we could reach you, we know you must be going through a lot of stress and being careful with your calls right now with what’s happened. My name is Jennifer, I work for the Federal Soulmates Census Group, and we work to register and record all known soulmate matches on a national database for research and legal purposes. We’ve been re-processing your and Miss Felicity Smoak’s files today and would just like to know so we fill out the forms correctly, should we put ‘The’ as the Arrow’s first name or_ -”

Oliver hangs up on them.

Felicity whacks his arm lightly. “Oliver!” she admonishes. “Jennifer is just trying to do her job!”

“I’m not dealing with that today,” he shakes his head vehemently.

“Poor Jennifer has to!”

“‘Poor Jennifer’ might actually be a reporter posing as somebody from the FSCG to try and fish for information,” he tells her, bopping her on the nose. “So I will get QC’s legal team to process that paperwork on our behalf, like I did when the two of us came out as soulmates.”

“That’s going to be fun for them,” Felicity snickers. “What are they going to put? Name: The Arrow. Gender: Male that we know of. Age: Unknown. Occupation: Vigilante Archer. Appearance: Green.” Her grin widens. “Green with jealousy. If Oliver Queen hates sharing his soulmate Felicity Smoak, then the Arrow _definitely_ does. I wonder who Felicity Smoak prefers? Oliver or the Arrow?”

“Are we talking about in general, or in bed?” Oliver growls, suddenly swooping down to pick her up in a fireman’s carry, making Felicity squeak in shock. “Because I’m pretty sure Oliver Queen can beat the Arrow at that last one _effortlessly_.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Felicity responds breathlessly. “Maybe Felicity Smoak has a thing for a man in tight leather and a hood. The Arrow’s ass looks delicious in those green pants, after all.”

Oliver begins making his way slowly up the stairs. “Are you admitting to having a _kink_ for the Arrow suit, Miss Smoak?”

She pinches his butt. It’s right there, directly in her sightline. It’s Oliver’s fault - he’s the one carrying her over his shoulder. “What are you going to do about it, Mr Queen?”

Minutes later, Oliver is tossing her down on their bed with its rumpled sheets from their morning activities and is showing her _exactly_ what he’s going to do about it.

Felicity decides she could get used to having a soulmate who’s envious of himself. She’ll have to hack a news website and insert some fake sex details into a gossip article about her and the Arrow’s sensual adventures to give Oliver a target, a challenge to accept. Maybe this lie about being in a throuple with Oliver and the Arrow, when they’re the same person, is not such a bad thing after all.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed xx
> 
> twitter: @lexiblackbriar  
> tumblr: @alexiablackbriar13


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